Mentalechoes

I’m still shaking with adrenaline. Even though it’s been about 20 minutes now. A curtain in the living room moved somehow so it was draped over a light bulb on a standing lamp. I was sorting out tax papers on the couch when I became aware of a burning smell tingling in my nose. At first I thought it was in another room, so I got up and walked into the kitchen as that’s where the gas central heater is. but there was nothing. I then stepped into my bedroom but there wasn’t even a hint of smoke odour there, so I came back out to the living room once more. I checked a lamp that a light had burst in, which had also shorted out the electricity in the front half of my flat. The smell was strong though, something was definitely burning. I looked up wondering if it was coming from the flat above and that’s when I saw this acrid black smoke pouring across the ceiling. My eyes followed it to the curtain over the light bulb. A pit in my stomach opened and I reflexively wanted to vomit. I ran across to the curtain and swung it away from the light but I could see a large lick of fire already running up towards the roof.

My god, this was actually happening! My flat was on fire!

Suddenly instinct took over. I didn’t even remember it was there, but I had a large drinking glass on the coffee table filled with water. I violently grabbed for it and tossed it on to the flames. Luckily there was enough there to seriously dampen a large portion of the material that was set to incinerate. Then with all of my nervous strength I yanked the curain off the railing and ground it under foot into the well spread out water puddle on the wooden floor.

I stood there for long seconds doing nothing; not thinking; not acting; just standing there looking around me. Then I opened up all the windows and began cleaning up.

The curtain, of course, is ruined. It was very expensive too. I’ll never be able to afford one like it now. But taking stock of the place, everything else is fine. Had I have been but 30 seconds slower, this place would have turned into a raging inferno, as the entire building - all three floors - is built of out wood, carpet, curtains and more wood. I’m unlucky, and yet lucky on the same side of the coin. How the curtain came to rest over the light bulb I don’t know, as I don’t recall moving it. The only thing I can think of is that it shifted when I turned it on earlier tonite. Surely it couldn’t be anything supernatural. Could it?

If this is the start of the week, I wonder what bodes in the coming days?! If I was a superstitious person I might be worried as this is a fairly ‘in your face’ sign. But I’m not superstitious, only very spiritual, and Buddhism doesn’t say anything about burning curtains being significant. Luckily I’m not Catholic otherwise I would have to take it as God trying to talk to me, and since he was trying to do so through an expensive burning curtain I can’t replace, I would definitely have to say he is pissed at me for something. If he wasn’t he would have just spoken to me through the television like he does for Americans. But yeah, I’m not Catholic, so it doesn’t mean a thing… I think!

Still, having said that, this does have me worried somewhat. I think I’ll hangoff signing up for that skydiving acrobatics course I wanted to follow. Seems like the timing might be bad. I wonder if there is still space in the Yoga Knitting for Beginners class then? I’ll give em a call tomorrow and see.

Padwanna!